My Pokemon Adventure
by AkaiKamiRyu
Summary: A teenager starts out on his own adventure in the world of Pokemon. Starts in Kanto then Joto and evntualy Hoenn
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokemon. If I did… I'd be filthy stinky rich, and this would be animated, not written.

A/N: This is an idea that started running around in my head and would NOT leave me alone. This will give me a small break from my other works, and let my other muses recover.

BTW this will overlap the canon series a little.

Chapter 1: Every Journey Needs a Start

A young boy sighed as he dropped the book he was reading and stared up at the ceiling of his room. The lad's name is Brian Amaru, son of an inventor and a former gym leader. At sixteen years of age, he was more of a young man than boy. He sighed again as he glanced at the wall clock in his room.

_Tomorrow,_ he thought with a bit of excitement. _Tomorrow I'll finally be able to go on an adventure._

"Brian!!" called his mother. "Dinner is almost done. Come help set the table!"

Brian got up off his bed and went downstairs to help his loving mother. Being six foot one, Brian had a large reach advantage over his 5'4" mother, so he was expected to help when she needed something on a higher shelf.

Despite her small size, Shanna Amaru used to be one of the best gym leaders in Kanto. She had dark brown hair that went to her shoulders, and shinning green eyes. She had to retire when she became pregnant with Brian, but she was not upset. When asked why she never went back to the gym, she simply stated it was now time for her to be the leader of her family.

Brian chuckled as he took out the plates and bowls from various cabinets. "You know, you could use a few of you pokemon to help you out, instead of me."

His mother looked up from the pot she was stirring and smiled back at him. "If I did that, I'd never get you out of that room of yours. And I happen to like seeing your pretty little baby face." She pinched his cheeks for emphasis.

"Mom…" Brian cried. "I'm not a little boy anymore. I'm a teenager, and should be treated as one."

"That will happen when you start acting like one," said a new voice.

Brian looked to the kitchen entrance to see his father leaning on the frame of the doorway. "Hey Dad. How was work at the lab today?"

David Amaru was a large man, a 6' 3" man to be exact. He had done a lot of weight training in his youth that resulted in giving him an intimidating figure. But to everyone that knew him, he was nothing but a big softy. David was the head of the R&D department of the Silph Co branch that looked for new ways to help trainers and their pokemon. Several of his ideas had already been put into mass production, including the famed PokeGear.

David just smiled as he ruffled his son's long hair. "My co-workers couldn't stop asking about ya. They all send their best wishes for you tomorrow. What's for dinner Pretty Momma?"

Shanna smiled at obvious flirt. "You'll see soon enough, you good looking man."

Brian diverted his attention away from his parents. _They've been married for 17 years now. Yet they still act like newlyweds at times, especially when I'm in the room._ There are just some things that kids just did not need to watch their parents do. "If you two are done over there, everything's ready for the food."

His folks laughed at the embarrassment in his voice and brought the food to the table.

"So," began Shanna. "Have you said good-bye to all of your friends yet?"

Brian nodded a little sadly. "Some of them are a little jealous of me, but all of them wished me the best. Some of them even got me a few gifts."

"Really?" asked David. "What did they get you?"

Brian smiled. "I got a new jacket, a new hat, and gloves. Also, I currently have more pokeballs than I can count. Along with the tent and sleeping bag from grandma, I'm all set for this."

Shanna smiled as she shared a look with her husband. "On another note, have you decided what your starter is going to be?"

Brian shook his head. "Each has their pluses and minuses, so it's kinda hard to decide."

"Why don't you sleep on it?" suggested his father. "Maybe you'll figure it out in your dreams."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Dad, I've been studying pokemon for over half my life. I think I'll be able to make a logical decision." He sighed. "Besides, I doubt I'll be able to get the pokemon I really want."

Shanna shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll come across it in your travels."

Brian smiled wistfully. "Maybe. I still can't believe you're gonna let me go off on my own. I know you're gonna worry about me and all, but this is something that I feel that I must do."

His dad looked at him with appreciation in his eyes. "We've gone over this a hundred times already. We know we couldn't stop you if we tried, but you do remember the conditions, right?"

Brian nodded. "If I can't get eight badges by the time of the next Indigo conference, then I have to stop and come home."

His mom rubbed his back. "Don't worry to much about it, you have about a year to do it. Some trainers get their badges in only a few months. And I do hope that you'll try and visit sometime."

Brian laughed. "It almost seems like I'm leaving right now."

Shanna smirked. "Well you're not leaving until you finish all of your chores for the last time."

The whole family laughed at that. The rest of the conversations were nothing but small talk.

-------------

Brian smiled as he watched the sun rise the next morning. He had barely slept a wink. He quickly took a shower to get cleaned and refreshed then tried to decide on what to wear. He smiled as he remembered the gifts.

Soon Brian looked at his finished project in the full-length mirror. He wore his favorite pair of jeans that had a tare in the right knee. He liked the way his new long sleeved red windbreaker looked over his favorite shirt. The shirt was white with a red pokeball around the stomach. Brian picked up the hat his best friend got him. It was red with a black symbol on the front that meant "dragon". He tied his long hair back into a ponytail that reached the middle of his shoulder blades then slipped on the hat. He put it backwards and off-centered to his right. The final touch was his sunglasses.

These held a special place in Brian's heart, as they were the first, and last, present from his uncle. He shook his head to clear the unhappy memories. _This is gonna be one of the best days of my life,_ he told himself. _I can't get sad._ He then proceeded to pack a few change of clothes as well as a relatively large pile of pokeballs. As he was tying on his sleeping bag and tent to his backpack he heard his mom call him for breakfast.

Brian grinned, as he smelled all of his favorite breakfast items: Eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. A huge helping of each was piled on his plate. He eye sparkled as continued to gaze at the mountainous mound of food.

"If you keep your mouth open, you'll attract zubats," his dad joked from the stove.

Brian's mouth shut with a loud snap. He then grinned and started eating his full.

Shanna giggled as she watched her son eat his last meal with his family. _If only he wasn't an only child,_ she thought sadly. _Then this wouldn't be so hard._ She placed a pill bottle in front of the rapidly vanishing pile of food. "Don't forget your medicine," she said in a singsong voice.

Brian paused long enough to send his mother a small glare, then continued to stuff his face. "I know, _Mother_," came the muffled reply. Shanna smacked him lightly on his head.

"First: Don't talk with your mouth full. Second: Don't talk to your mother in that tone of voice," she stated in lecture mode. She then started going off on how she was going to miss her baby boy and so on. Brian just rolled his eyes as he tuned her out.

_That's one thing I _know _I'm not gonna miss,_ he thought with a smile. _This food on the other hand…_ Brian continued to eat until he felt like his stomach was going to burst. He sighed with content as his parents cleared the table and set the dishes in the sink. "Um… Do you want me to do those before I leave?"

His mom just shook her head.

"But we do have a couple of presents for you," said David. "If you gather up the rest of your stuff and meet us outside, you'll see what they are." He laughed as he watched his son race up the stairs. "I haven't seen him move that fast since the ice-cream store had a three-for-one sale."

-------------

Brian hopped from one foot to the other as he waited for his parents. He was very excited to find out what they were going to give him. Soon they walked outside with a couple of wrapped boxes.

"Here," said David. "This is from me and my co-workers."

Brian hurriedly opened the package to find a strange device. "What the heck is this?" He asked as he examined it. The device was red, about 5 inches long, and as wide as his wrist. There was a screen in the center with a few buttons around it.

His dad grinned. "That, my son, is the latest version of the PokeGear, called PokeCompleate. It has all the functions of the PokeGear; Phone, map, and radio as well as an internal PokeDex."

Brian blinked as he looked at the device. "Really?" His dad nodded. "Can I still wear it on my wrist?" His dad nodded again and showed him how to do it. "This is wicked! Thank you so much!!" Brian gave his father a big hug.

"You still haven't opened my gift," Shanna said simply.

"I don't see what could be better than Dad's gift," Brian replied with a huge grin on his face.

"You might be surprised," she said with a wink. "Now open it."

Brian did so with high hopes. Soon he came upon the contents of the box and it was…

"… Another pokeball?" he asked with a mix of confusion and disappointment. "No offence, but I already have about fifty of these."

Shanna and David smiled. "Try throwing it," suggested Shanna.

Brian looked at his smiling parents then at the ball. He shrugged and tossed it a short distance away. "Pokeball, GO!"

The ball opened with a flash of white light. The light soon took the form of a five-foot blue and white pokemon.

"Tini," said the pokemon as it looked happily at Brian.

Brian stared in disbelief at the rare dragon pokemon in front of him. "It's… it's… a Dratini!!" he cried excitedly. "I don't believe it!! How'd you get one?"

Shanna giggled as she watched her son start fawning over his first pokemon. "An old friend of mine caught it for me. Since you couldn't decide on your starter, your dad and I figured that this would make the best one."

Brian was so happy that he was almost in tears. "You have no idea how much this means to me." He looked at his new partner. "It looks like we're gonna be the best of friends, right?"

Dratini smiled and tackled Brian in what appeared to be a hug. This got everyone laughing.

"One more thing, Brian," said his father as he calmed down.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You know you can only carry six pokemon at a time, and the rest get sent to wherever you got your PokeDex?" Brian nodded. "Well, since you got your PokeDex here, your pokemon will be sent here."

Brian blinked. "You serious?"

Shanna nodded. "Your dad fixed up the shed in the back to have a Pokemon Transporter. Now all of you pokemon will be sent to us."

Brian looked at his parents with a small smile. "If that is everything, I guess it's time I hit the road."

His mother started crying. "Be safe my baby. Don't forget to take you medication. And call home often, and—"

"Dear," said David calmly. "It's time for him to go."

She nodded sadly. "Alright. I wish you a safe trip."

Brian gave both of his parents a good-bye hug and returned Dratini to its pokeball. "Okay I call you after I make it to Viridian City. Until then, see ya!"

Brian took off at a slow jog out of his hometown of Pineseed, towards a life of adventure.

End for now

A/N: In the next installment Brian gets his trainer's card from Prof. Oak, as well as catches his first pokemon. You also get a glimpse as to why he could not go on this journey earlier.

Brian is not going to be a super powerful trainer. He will lose on occasion, but like Ash, he will become victorious in the end. Also, Dratini is going to be his only super rare pokemon, all the rest are going to be ones he catches like other trainers.

In case you're wondering: The PokeCompleate looks similar to a red GBA.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon. Unless you count in a video game… Brian Amaru is my OC and no one else's. So there (sticks out tongue) biiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

A/N: This chapter is going to be a bit longer than my last one. And thank you to all who reviewed. My new muse really liked them.

Another thing, I will refer to pokemon as genderless until they are caught, or they are the kind with only one gender. (Jynx, Nidorino, etc.)

Now story time

Chapter 2: The PokeProfessor

Brian sat under a tree around Noon for a short break. He had been walking for the past few hours and was really tired, though he would not admit it. He was too excited to feel tired. His body on the other hand, sang different tune. Brian massaged his chest for a minute before digging in his pack for his medicine bottle.

_Dang, _he thought angrily. _I thought I was over this, and my stamina was better._ He took a pill from the bottle and washed it down with some water from his canteen. _Can't go anywhere for a little while. Might as well see what attacks Dratini knows._ "Dratini, come on out!"

"Tini!" it yelled as it appeared.

"Let's see what you can do, okay?"

Dratini cried happily as Brian started trying out different attacks.

-------------

Brian adjusted his sunglasses as he saw a town in the distance.

_That must be Pallet Town,_ he thought with some anticipation. _I should be there in less than a half-hour._ After training with Dratini, Brian opted to continue traveling at a slower pace. It took him longer than he wanted, but he also knew it was safer for him.

He did arrive in the town sooner than he expected, so he was not too upset. _Now I just need to find Professor Oak's lab._ He looked around the relatively small town. "And that would be where?" he asked no one. Brian sighed as he realized he was lost. He wanted to ask someone, except there was no one around.

"GET BACK HERE YOU!!!!" yelled an angry voice.

Brian turned around to see a boy chasing a small yellow pokemon. Brian pointed his PokeComplete at the yellow pokemon.

"Pikachu, the mouse pokemon," said the male computer voice. "It has small electrical sacs on both of its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs."

"An electric pokemon, eh?" Brian pulled out the pokeball containing his partner. "Dratini, let's go!!"

Dratini appeared in front of the pikachu stopping it from running. The boy stopped as well but further back.

"Dratini, use Slam!" Brian called out.

Dratini twisted around to hit the pikachu with his tail. The pikachu dodged and countered with a Thundershock. Dratini was able to dodge as well, now the two pokemon just stared at each other.

Brian carefully watched the pikachu for any movements. _This will probably hurt Dratini, but if I don't, the pokemon might get away._ "Dratini, use Wrap!"

Dratini lunged at the pikachu and wrapped his long body around the smaller pokemon. The pikachu was to concerned with getting out, that it did not use another electric attack. Soon the pikachu stopped struggling and Brian took out one of his numerous pokeballs.

"Pokeball GO!!" The ball hit, and the pikachu vanished in a flash of red light. The ball then started twitching for a few seconds before staying still. Brian had a large grin on his face as he picked up his new pokemon. "Alright! I caught a pikachu!!"

"Dratini!" Dratini cried, happy that he was able to help get a new friend.

"Wow! That was so cool!" exclaimed the boy. "I've only seen pokemon battles on TV, but that was so cool and is that a rare pokemon? Can you tell me how—" Brian held up a hand to stop the boy's rambling. "Eh heh, guess I'm talking to much. Sorry." He bowed his head in apology.

Brian just smiled at the youth. "You can make it up to me by taking me to Prof. Oak's lab."

The boy smiled. "Is that all? Sure. I can show you where he lives."

Brian nodded. "Dratini, return." The dragon pokemon returned to his pokeball then the two bays started walking. "My name's Brian Amaru, what's yours?"

"Ash Ketchum," replied the boy. "I'm gonna be the world's best Pokemon Master!"

Brian smirked as he saw the look of complete determination in the boy's eyes. "If that's your dream, you're gonna have to beat me first."

Ash blinked then smirked as well. "Fine then. When I get my pokemon, I'll challenge you to a battle."

"You don't have one yet?" Brian asked surprised.

Ash scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm not ten yet. But I will be next month."

Brian nodded. "Cool. By the way, why were you chasing that pikachu?"

Ash groaned. "The little thing was chewing the wires in my house. Mom wanted me to catch it and release it out in the woods, but it just ran off after almost zapping me."

Brian started laughing. "_That,_ I would pay money to see."

Ash just pouted while thinking how he would never be able to train a pikachu.

-------------

"So that's it, right?" Brian asked in a slight awe as he looked at the white building on the top of a hill with a windmill in front.

Ash smiled. "Yep. You just go up this path and you'll be there." He then started running up said path. "Come on! I'll race ya!"

Brian sighed as he looked up the long path. _Better not risk it, _he thought bitterly. "Sorry Ash, but I've been walking all day. I just don't have the strength to race you," he half-lied.

Ash pouted again. "Your no fun. How about you have dinner with me and my mom?" he asked as Brian caught up with him.

Brian shrugged. "We'll see. I need to get my Trainer's Card from the Professor, and get registered. We don't have a Pokemon Center in my town, and this is the closest place."

"Really? Where are you from?" Ash asked with interest.

"Pineseed," was the simple reply. They entered the main building to find it very empty.

"Hello?" called Brian. "Anyone here?"

"Yes," replied a voice from the back. "Come on in, I'll be right with you."

Ash and Brian took a seat in the small living room to the right of the doorway. They did not have to wait long as an older man entered through another door.

"Ah, hello there Ash," said the man. "I wasn't expecting you today. Who's your new friend? I haven't seen him around here before."

"My name's Brian Amaru. I'm here to get my Trainer's Card."

The man smiled warmly. "I see. You're the son of my dear friend David." Brian nodded. "I'm Professor Samuel Oak, it's nice to meet you. So he finally let you go out on your own? I figured you'd be older than me before he'd allow it." He started laughing at his own joke.

Brian grimaced. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd really like to get my Card and be on my way."

Prof. Oak looked at Brian with a small amount of concern. "Even if you left now, it'd be well after dark before to got to Viridian City. So just relax, the pokemon and Gyms aren't going anywhere."

Brian sighed in defeat. "I guess you're right." He turned and smiled at Ash. "Looks like I'll be able to take you up on that dinner offer."

Oak smiled at the two boys. "You're in luck then. Mrs. Ketchum is one of the best cooks in town. Now if you would follow me, we'll be able to get you Trainer's Card."

Brian and Ash followed Prof. Oak to his office, which was nearly three times the size of the living room. It had a spiral staircase that lead to a small loft next to a two-story window wall. The wall to his right had floor to ceiling bookshelves, all filled with books of various pokemon legends and research. Finally, at the back of the room was a large computer with a smaller counsel on a desk in front of it.

Brian could only say one word. "Whoa…"

Prof. Oak smiled as he watched his friend's son eagerly look at everything in his main study/office. "Now I need you to come over here and answer a few questions for me," he instructed to get Brian's attention. "Now first: Name?"

"Brian Amaru."

"Hometown?"

"Pineseed. Height: 6'1", Weight: 158 lbs, Eyes: green, Hair: dark brown."

"Starter?" Oak asked with some interest.

"Dratini," Brian replied without missing a beat.

The pokemon professor stopped typing. "Stop joking and tell me which pokemon you are going to start with."

Brian gave a frustrated sigh before releasing Dratini. When the professor saw the rare pokemon, his eyes nearly jumped out of his sockets.

"When… How…" he asked with complete disbelief as he tried to get a closer look at the dragon pokemon. Dratini hid behind Brian with a nervous look in his eyes.

"An old friend of my mom caught it for me," Brian replied while comforting his scared friend. "Apparently he gets nervous around other people he doesn't know."

Prof. Oak just looked at how the young dragon seemed to draw strength from his trainer. _He's only had that pokemon for less than a day, and it's already very attached to him. He has great potential as a trainer._ "Forgive me. It's just that I don't get to see such a pokemon in person very often."

"So it _is _a rare pokemon?" asked Ash.

Brian nodded as he returned Dratini to his ball. "Very rare, but not as rare as some of the other pokemon out there."

Oak went back to the computer to finish entering Brian's data. Everything was going okay until they got to a certain part.

"Medical problems?" Prof. Oak asked hesitantly.

Brian just sighed and handed Oak a small disk. "Just attach the file," he said flatly. Ash looked at his new friend questioningly. "I don't wanna talk about it," Brian stated firmly. "Please don't ask."

Ash only nodded, but decided he would ask about it at a later date. Professor Oak finished putting in the necessary data. All that was left was Brian's picture. Brian gave a smirk at the camera.

"You know, there's no need to be cocky," commented Oak.

"I'm not cocky, I'm confident. There's a difference," Brian replied with a smile.

The professor just smiled as he shook his head. "Kids these days…" He handed Brain the completed Trainer's Card. "Here you go. This will allow you to enter the Pokemon League Challenge. Now, as I'm sure you know, all you have to do is collect at least eight badges. This is not gonna be an easy task."

Brian sighed as he waved off the professor. "I know all of that already. I've study pokemon and the league rules for most of my life. If I'm not ready now, I'll never be."

Prof. Oak sighed. "Okay. Just be careful. There are people out there that will mistreat pokemon and will try and steal yours."

Brian gave Oak the same confident smirk he had in his picture. "Don't worry. I have a few tricks of my own. Come on Ash, let's let your mom know she gonna have a guest."

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Brian looked out the window of the guest room and smiled at the moon. He had a delightful evening and could not sleep. He was far too happy. He never expected to make a new friend his first day out of Pineseed, but he did.

_I wonder how many friends or rivals I'll make on this journey? _He thought as he laid down in the bed. _I hope it's enough to keep the adventure interesting._ He chuckled to himself at the thought of thousands of people lining up to try and beat him. _If I'm going to be the best, then I have to train like the best. Tomorrow I train Dratini and Pikachu a bit before I head out. Then I catch more pokemon. _He smiled at the idea of having a near unbeatable team.

He sat up suddenly and grabbed his chest. His face was contorted with pain as cold sweat dripped down his face.

_Not here! Not now!_ He grabbed his pill bottle from the nightstand and swallowed two pills. Soon the pain subsided and he was able to breath easy again. "Danggit! Two in one day. This is not looking good…" Brian took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. He fell asleep soon afterwards.

Outside the door, Ash's mother watched the whole event with troubled eyes.

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Ash awoke the next morning to loud sounds coming from his backyard. He glanced out his window to see his new friend doing something with his pokemon. Ash quickly dressed and rushed out the door to see what was happening.

"Okay, Dratini. Try it again," said Brian.

Dratini nodded a little tiredly, but it still looked determine to complete whatever his task was.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked with interest.

Brian looked over to give his host a big smile. "Good morning to you, too." He then whistled. This caused his new pikachu to run over from the other end of the yard.

"What was it doing out there?" Ash asked as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Brian held up a figure to say he would deal with Ash in a moment. "Let's take a break. You two have been working hard." He poured some water in a couple of bowls for his pokemon. "Now I can answer the questions of Mr. Inquisitive over here." He smiled as Ash looked irritated.

"I want to know what you're doing out here so early in the morning!"

Brian smiled as he replied, "Training."

Ash blinked. "Training? This early?"

Brian nodded. "Sure, why not? I'm willing to bet that there are trainers who are pushing their pokemon a lot more than this. But, I'm not them, so I'm not going to push them anymore than I feel is necessary."

"So what are you doing, exactly?" Ash asked with interest.

Brian held up a tennis ball. "I'm having Dratini practice hitting these with his Slam attack. Also, I'm having Pikachu try and catch them with his Agility and Quick Attack." Ash looked blackly back at Brian who sighed. "Dratini will be able to improve on his accuracy while Pikachu works on speed and evasion. Do you understand?"

Ash nodded mutely.

"Good. Now I'm going to be heading out after breakfast—"

"What? So soon?!" Ash asked with obvious disappointment in his voice.

Brian blinked. "Yea. I don't want to overstay my welcome, and it's gonna take me a while to get to Viridian City. So I'd like to get going as soon as possible." Brian turned to his pokemon. "Pikachu, go find the other two balls and try throwing them over here."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried happily as he ran off.

"Breakfast's ready!" called Mrs. Ketchum from the kitchen window. "Come get it before it gets cold!"

"Okay!" replied the hungry boys.

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Brian smiled as he looked back at Pallet Town. _I'll stop by soon enough,_ he mentally promised. "Now on to Viridian City!"

As he walked he felt something in one of his pockets. It turned out to be a letter:

_Brian,_

_I know of your illness, but I won't tell anyone. Ash's father had the same thing, so below is a list of doctors that specialize in treating people with your condition. I know that there is nothing I could say to you to stop you. All I ask is that you be careful in you journey, you already seem like a second son to me._

_Mrs. Ketchum_

Brian smiled as he read the letter. _She really does care. She even has the cities that they're located in._ "I promise to take good care of myself, so don't worry. You'll be doing enough of that when Ash starts his own journey."

He looked down the road that lead to Viridian City and gave the biggest grin in his life. "Look out world! Brian Amaru is going to make his mark in you!!"

End for now

Next Chapter: New City, New Pokemon

A/N: Read and review if you want. Muses like them.


	3. To Viridian City

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon so don't sue. I have nothing anyway.

A/N: Thanks again to the people who reviewed. My muse really liked them.

Sorry for the long update. I got a full time job, which takes up most of my time. Hopefully the next chapter will come out faster.

Now Story Time!!

Chapter 3: To Viridian City

Brian gave an irritated sigh as he glanced around the field. He had been out on the road for two hours and had yet to run into any wild pokemon. This fact was starting to eat away at his patients. He angrily kicked a stone into the tall grass.

"This bites!" he grumbled as he walked down the road. "I can't waste too much time here. I gotta get to Viridian City before dark or else—ACK!" Brian cried as he fell face first into a mud puddle. _Great… just… super…_ He sat up and wiped some of the mud from his face. As he was getting up, something knocked him forward and into the puddle again. _Alright! When I find out who's doing this…_

Brian quickly jumped up and rolled into the grass to hide himself. "Let's see who the prankster is." As he looked around something struck his head. "YEOW!!" He glanced up in the sky as he rubbed his head. "What the?" He pointed his PokeComplete at the bird pokemon that was circling him.

"Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokemon," said DAN, the computer voice of the PokeComplete. "Spearow has a very loud cry that can be heard over half a mile away. If its high, keening cry is heard echoing all around, it is a sign that they are warning each other of danger."

_Great, _Brian thought sarcastically. _That means that they fly in groups. I have to be careful._ He squinted his eyes to try and see the bird pokemon better, and saw a big bump on the back of its head.

Brian gulped. "Did I accidentally hit it when I kicked that rock?" He shook his head. "Even if I did, this pokemon seems fearless to attack an opponent larger than itself. I've goatta catch it." _And fast. I don't feel like dealing with a whole flock of them._ "Pikachu, time to fight!" He called as he threw the pokeball.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu as he appeared.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock on that spearow!" Brian pointed to the offending pokemon that was just about to dive bomb Brian's head again.

"Pika-CHU!!!" yelled Pikachu as he unleashed the electric attack at the flying pokemon. The attack struck home and the spearow started to fall out of the air.

_That attack must have paralyzed it._ "Pokeball, GO!!" The ball hit true and the bird pokemon vanished in a flash of red light. When the ball landed it shook a few times before staying still.

Brian jumped in celebration. "Yes! I caught my second pokemon!"

"Pi-pikachu!"

"Great job, Pikachu. Now return." Brian smiled as he retrieved his new pokemon. "Soon you'll forgive me, Spearow. But for now, take a good rest."

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Brian smiled as he saw Viridian City in the distance. _Great! Now I can clean up, _he thought excitedly. He started running towards the city when he heard something that caused him to stop.

It was the sound of kids picking on someone or something. Brian altered his course and ran through the bushes until he came upon one of his most hated scenes. Kids throwing stones and sticks at a down pokemon.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Brian yelled at the three young punks to get their attention. The boys were no older then eight or nine, yet they seemed to have the attitude of someone twice their age.

"What's it to you?" sneered the tallest of the three boys. "This pokemon was in our secret hideout. So we have to make it leave."

Brian looked at the pokemon. It was a mankey, but it did not look like it could go anywhere. "Did you ever consider why the pokemon was here?" Brian demanded hotly.

"Why should we care?" scoffed the second boy. "All the other pokemon that trespassed ran away as soon as we arrived."

Brian glared at the youths as he took another look at the mankey. _There are a lot of scratches and bruises. But those could be from the boys._ He noticed that the pokemon was holding one of its arms. _It could have a broken arm. That's why it didn't run off. It couldn't. _He felt his anger rise higher.

"Hey, buddy," called the last member for the little group. "You know you're also in our secret hideout. So you better leave before we ruff you up like that pokemon!"

Brain clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Oh, someone's gonna be ruffed up, and it won't be me! Pikachu, use Thundershock!!"

Pikachu emerged and let lose a mild Thundershock on the three boys. This caused them to run away crying. Brian sighed a little in regret. _I shouldn'tve done that. That makes me no better than them._ He pulled out a potion from his bag and turned back to the injured pokemon.

"Hey there," he said in a small kind voice. "The bad kids are gone, and I'm going to help you."

"…key?" said the mankey weakly.

"This is gonna sting, but it will help prevent infection." Brian then spayed the potion on some of the cuts.

"Mankey!!" it cried in pain. It then tried to get away, but fell down again.

Brian frowned as he ran through his options. _I've got to get it to a center, but I don't know if I'll be able to get it there safely unless I catch it. But to catch it in such a state would be dishonorable. _Brian nodded to himself as he made his decision. "Sorry about this, Mankey." He tossed a pokeball at the injured pokemon and it vanished into the ball.

"Let's go Pikachu!" he called to his other partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as he raced after his trainer.

-------------

Brian and Pikachu raced to the Pokemon Center near the middle of the city. As soon as he entered the Pokemon Center the nurse took one look at his ragged appearance and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll explain everything later, but right now I have a pokemon that is in _very_ bad condition." He released Mankey in his arms to show the nurse.

"Oh my goodness!!" she cried. She then hit a button on the counter. "I need a stretcher here ASAP and prep the ER!"

Suddenly a pair of chansey appeared and took the mankey away on a stretcher. Brian was about to follow, but the nurse stood in his way.

"Mind telling me how this happened?" she asked with an angry expression. "I might not be able to give it the correct care, unless I know how the injuries were sustained."

Brian frowned. "I found it like that…" he answered sadly.

The nurse's face softened a little. "Go on."

"It was laying hurt and three kids were throwing sticks and rocks at it. My pikachu and I chased them away. Then I tried to spray some potion on the wounds, but that only caused it more pain…" Brian started to feel tears in his eyes as he thought about the mankey.

_A person who cares this much for pokemon, would never-- could never hurt one like that,_ thought the nurse. "Okay. I'll see what I can do, but it will be awhile until it's fully recovered."

Brian smiled at the nurse. "Yes! I understand, just do what you can to save him."

-------------

Brian paced around the waiting room in an agitated state. He had cleaned up and was feeding his other pokemon, but they were more interested in watching their trainer walk in constant circles.

Dratini and Pikachu watched with some worry on their faces while Spearow just kept a careful eye on Brian. He was curious as to why his trainer was worried over some pokemon that was stupid enough to get beat up by human children.

"Excuse me," said a new voice. "Is that your pikachu?"

Brian turned to the speaker and saw a young woman in a police uniform. She had blue hair that sprayed in every direction under her hat. What caught Brian's attention was the stern expression that she had on. He gulped involuntarily.

"Uh… yes he is, officer. Why do you ask?"

The officer walked up Brian with her face never wavering. "My name's Officer Jenny. I just received a complaint from three local boys saying: a teenager and his pikachu bullied them. And you match the description of the teenager."

Brian felt his hands clench into fists again as he thought of the lies the punks were spreading about him.

"What else did they say about me?" he asked as calmly as he could.

Jenny blinked. "You're not going to deny the charges?" she asked honestly confused.

Brian looked her in the eye. "Why should I? I know what I did was wrong, but I had good a reason for what I did."

Officer Jenny just studied the young man in front of her. Most people would outright deny any charges brought against them, even if they were guilty. But here was a person honestly admitting that he did something wrong, something did not add up.

"It's standard procedure for me to get your statement of the incident." Jenny pulled out a small notebook. "Now could you please tell me what happened?"

Brian blinked then told the officer a more detailed version of the event. As he was telling the story he noticed that Jenny was writing a lot harder than was necessary and she seemed to have developed a nice twitch with her left eyebrow.

"Um… Ms. Jenny? Are you okay?" he asked nervously.

"Huh? Uh, yes I'm fine," she replied with an uneasy smile. Brian was about to continue with his statement when the light above the ER went off.

The nurse that talked with Brian earlier walked out with a small smile. "Good news. Mankey will make a full recovery."

"What about his arm?" Brian asked.

"It was only sprained. It should be fully healed by tomorrow afternoon." She then noticed Brian's other pokemon. "Are these your pokemon?" she asked excitedly.

Brian blushed a little. "Yeah… Dratini was my starter. I caught Pikachu while I was staying in Pallet Town, and I just caught Spearow."

"Ahem," coughed Jenny. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm in the middle of an investigation, Nurse Joy."

"Oh dear! Excuse me." Joy blushed in embarrassment. "Does this have to do with the injured mankey?"

"That's what I was about to ask you," Jenny replied. "Do the injuries on the mankey seem to be the result of being struck by rocks and sticks?"

Joy nodded sadly. "Yes. Many of the scratches appeared to—"

"That's all I needed to know," the police officer interrupted. "Your diagnosis of the mankey supports Brian's story. Since I've never known you to lie, his statement must be the correct one." She turned back to the accused teen. "I apologize for treating you like a criminal. Now that I have this information I'll take care of the _real _guilty party." Jenny bowed to both Brian and Nurse Joy then left.

"I almost feel sorry for those idiots," Brian commented as he watched Officer Jenny leave. "Almost," he added with a smirk.

"Pika," agreed Pikachu.

"Tini!" Dratini added.

Spearow just nodded then started eating.

Brian just smiled at his pokemon. _That's right. MY pokemon. I've waited almost half of my life to train them._ He turned to Nurse Joy. "Is it alright for me and my pokemon to spend the night in the same room as Mankey?"

Joy just smiled. "I don't see why not. I'll have a cot set up for you in a few minutes, I just need to do some paperwork first, okay?"

Brian smiled. "Take as long as you need, I'm a night owl."

-------------

Mankey stirred as he woke up the next morning. The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in pain. All of the bruises and cuts he got the day before where gone. The second thing he noticed was that he was not in a tree or in a small cave, but a white room and on a soft bed. He then noticed the other three sleeping pokemon in the room. All of them where sleeping with a familiar young man.

Mankey's eyes grew as he recognized the man as the youth who tried to help him the previous day. Dratini stirred and looked at their roommate.

"(Good morning,)" he said happily to his new friend.

Mankey looked around once more before he replied. "(How'd I get here?)"

Dratini told him how Brian chased off the kids that were hurting him. "(He regrets catching you without battling you first.)"

Mankey looked away. "(It doesn't matter, I have nowhere to go anyway. When I hurt my arm, I was left behind by the rest of my troop.)"

"(That's sad…)" commented Pikachu, who just woke-up. "(But I can tell you that Brian will never treat you bad.)"

Brian cracked open an eye. "If you guys want to talk, could you do so quietly?" He then laughed at the embarrassed looks each of the pokemon had. "Might as well get up now."

Brian got out of the bed and stretched to wake the rest of his body. "Time to wake up, Spearow," he said as he nudged the bird pokemon.

Spearow opened one eye then proceeded to peck his trainer's head. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!!" Spearow soon stopped and decided to try to go back to sleep.

"Oh no you don't," Brian stated in most authoritative voice. "You're getting up with the rest of us and train."

Spearow opened an eye and gave Brian a look that seemed to say: "Are you kidding me?"

Brian grinned. "Tell you what, Spearow. If you are able to complete the training, I'll leave you alone for the rest of the day. Deal?"

Spearow nodded the fluttered over to Brian's shoulder.

"Heh, it seems like you starting to trust me." Brian looked over at Mankey. "When your arm is healed, I'll start your training." He then smiled. "Like it or not, I've decided to keep you," he finished. "Now for the rest of you, outside so we can get to work."

Mankey watched the boy and his pokemon walk out of the room for their training. _So that's my new trainer. It seems like I couldn't ask for a better one._

End for now

A/N: Again I'm sorry about the long update. There is only so much one can write in a short time each day. That and I'm currently hooked on Rouge Galaxy for the PS2.

Review if you want. Also any ideas for trainers will be welcomed. Until next time Ja ne!!


	4. First Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon so don't sue. This was written for enjoyment purposes only. I'm making a big fat zero in profit off this.

A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank all of you who took the time to write me a review. I really like them. I hope this longer chapter will make up for the long update. Now story time!!

Chapter 4: First Battle!!

"Okay! One more time!"

Brian watched as Pikachu and Spearow continued to knock a tennis ball back and forth using Agility. He congratulated them when they did well, and encouraged them when they fell short. Dratini also watched and cheered on his teammates. Brian heard someone walking up behind him so he whistled to call a stop to the training.

Spearow grabbed the ball and raced Pikachu back to Brian. They got to him at the same time, and knocked him over.

The new arrival started giggling. "Your pokemon really like you don't they?" asked Nurse Joy.

Brian blushed a little. "Guess I'm a natural."

"I have good news. Mankey's arm is all better now." Joy stepped aside to show the fully recovered pokemon.

Mankey chattered happily the proceeded to give Brian what looked like a hug.

"I'm glad to see you all better too," Brian chuckled as he got up. "What time is it?"

"About 9:30," Joy replied. "You've been out here for over an hour."

Brian blushed again. "Guess I got a little carried away. Okay guys, let's break for something to eat." Each of his pokemon cheered happily. "Can I use the phone in the lobby?"

Joy nodded. "It's free for anyone to use. How about I feed your pokemon while you make your call?"

Brian smiled his thanks as he ran off.

-------------

"… and that's what happen," said Brian as he talked with his parents on the videophone.

"WHAT!!!!!!!!????" cried his mother.

"Mom, I'd like to keep at least some of my hearing," Brian grumbled as he rubbed his ear. "I promised to call when I was in Viridian City. I didn't say immediately."

"If you called us, I would have been able to get you out of trouble," commented his father. "You know I have my connections."

Brian sighed and shook his head. "I thank you for the offer, but if I keep running to you every time I'm in trouble, I'll never learn how to deal with it." His dad nodded while his mom still looked upset.

"Just don't forget that you can always ask us for advice," Shanna said eagerly.

Brian smiled at his mother. "I know, and I will if the need arises." He looked at the clock. "Oh boy, I've talked too long. I need to get back to training."

"Okay son," said David. "Don't push yourself too much, and I hope you call us again soon."

Brian held up the PokeComplete and grinned. "With this I can call you anytime, or vice-versa." His mom wished him good luck and he hung up the phone.

As Brian exited the Pokemon Center, he saw three familiar faces with a man. They were the boys he chased off the day before. _The guy's probably the dad of one or all three of these brats,_ Brian thought as the adult approached him.

"Are you the trainer who accused my kids of picking on an injured pokemon?" The man asked in a gruff voice.

Brian was not intimidated in the least. The man was only an inch taller than him and was of average built. However, the man had a strange sense of authority around him. That was the only thing that made Brian a little uneasy, but he did not show it.

"If you wish to ask me questions, then be courteous, and introduce yourself first," Brian replied evenly while keeping eye contact.

"My name is Robert. My son's are Joey, Nick, and Ben. They have asked me to challenge you to a pokemon battle."

Brian raised an eyebrow. "Straight to point. I like that in a person. However I must decline the challenge."

"What's the matter? You scared?" yelled Joey, the oldest of the brothers.

"I wasn't talking to you," Brian replied. He turned his attention back to their father. "I decline the challenge on the grounds that you have no reason to challenge me."

Now it was Robert's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You accuse my children of a crime, isn't that reason enough?"

"It would be, if they where innocent, or they where unable to fight for themselves," Brian replied. "If they are old enough to pick a fight with someone bigger than them, like myself, they can fight their own battles. If you keep fixing the situation every time they get into trouble, they'll never grow."

Robert looked into the teen's eyes and only saw pure truth behind his words. Robert smiled then he started to laugh. "Ha ha you are so right, young man. I guess I still look at them as my little boys that need to be comforted every time they fall."

Brian also smiled. "If it will make them feel better, they may challenge me to a battle."

"That brings me to the other reason they asked me to challenge you…" Robert began.

"They don't have their own pokemon," Brian finished.

Robert nodded. "Joey only turned nine last week. Nick's going to be seven in two months and Ben turned six last month. None of them are old enough to enter the Pokemon League."

Brian nodded. "True, they are to young to take on the Gym Challenge, but that doesn't mean they can't have pokemon."

"What do you mean?" asked Ben. He was very curious as to what the teen was getting at.

"What I'm saying is that they can have their own pokemon to train anytime their parent or guardian feels they are ready," Brian replied as if he was quoting a phrase from a book. Brian then dug in his backpack for a few seconds and pulled out three pokeballs. "Here you go," he said as he tossed them to the brothers. "Have your dad help you catch your pokemon, then you can you can still challenge me if you want. I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning, so I hope you come back before dinner."

Brian put his thumb and forefinger in his mouth to let loose a loud whistle. Soon his pokemon came running from the side of the center and stood at attention when they reached him.

"Where you all good for Nurse Joy?" he asked them. His pokemon all nodded their heads. "Good. Now we're going to do some training outside of town." Brian pulled out his pokeballs. "Return." All four of his pokemon vanished in flashes of red light.

"How long have you been a trainer?" Robert asked with some interest.

"Three days," Brian replied with a small amount of pride.

"To have that much respect from your pokemon already, you must be skilled," Robert commented. "I'd be honored to battle you as well."

Brian smiled as he headed to the woods that surrounded the city. "Well I hope to see all of you back here later," he called over his shoulder.

-------------

Around 3:00 a dirty young man walked into the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy took one look at the individual and smiled. "Did you do some intense training in the woods, Brian?"

Brian smiled sheepishly. "Yeah… Could you look at my pokemon? I think they're pretty worn out."

Joy smiled as she took Brian's pokeballs. "That's what I'm here for. I've moved your belongings to another room since Mankey's recovered."

"Thank you. I'm going to wash up and change now." Brian ran off with Nurse Joy just smiling after him.

-------------

Brian stood under the showerhead letting the water cascade down his body. Brian loved showers it made him feel clean in more ways than one. Every time he showered, it felt as though his troubles and anxieties of the day went down the drain with the rest of the dirt and grime. He always left the shower feeling totally refreshed and energized for the rest of the day.

As he left the shower stall, he heard someone knock on the door to his room. "Who is it?" he called.

"It's just me," said Nurse Joy. "I just came to tell you that your pokemon are fully healed, and that Robert and his sons are here for their battle."

Brian grinned. "Tell them I'll be out in a bit." He quickly dried off and dressed in his favorite clothes. He was about to leave when he decided to try out another gift.

-------------

Brian raced out the front door of the Center to see his four opponents waiting for him. He grinned as he put on his sunglasses and stood across from the boys and their father.

"So…" said Brian as he tightened his new red and black fingerless gloves. "Who's first?"

Ben stepped forward. "I guess I'll go first." He tossed his pokeball and Brian watched as the white energy took form.

"Pidgey," cooed the bird pokemon.

Brian took a quick peek at his PokeComplete. "Pidgey, the Tiny Bird pokemon. A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand."

"Spearow, time to attack!" Brian's bird pokemon let loose a loud cry as he appeared. "You got the first move, Benny-boy."

"Uh… Pidgey, use Tackle."

Ben's pokemon took flight and tried to hit the other bird pokemon, but Brian had other plans.

"Spearow, show them your Agility!"Spearow suddenly vanished from view causing Pidgey to stop in surprise. "Now a high speed Peck." Spearow reappeared and struck his opponent at a very fast speed. "Now use Fury Attack." Spearow started striking Pidgey with his beak, claws, and wings. Pidgey fell, and then it tried to get back up.

"Come on!" Ben called to his pokemon. "Try using Gust!"

Pidgey started flapping its wings and a small tornado appeared. The wind attack started moving towards Spearow, who was able to doge at the last second.

"Spearow, finish it with another Peck!" Brian's pokemon dove in and struck the smaller bird. Pidgey fell hard and did not get back up.

"Pidgey is unable to battle," said Nurse Joy. "Spearow is the winner."

"When did you get here?!" Brian asked surprised as Ben returned his pokemon.

"I figured you would need a judge," she replied simply. She turned to the younger trainer. "That was good for a first time, Ben. Keep training and your Pidgey will become a strong pokemon."

Ben seemed to cheer up a little after hearing that.

"I'll be next," said Nick. "Go Bellsprout!" The skinny grass pokemon appeared and started swaying with the breeze.

Again, Brian took a look at his PokeComplete. "Bellsprout the Flower pokemon. It appears to use its root-like feet to replenish moister."

_Spearow would be the best choice, but I've already used him._ "I'll go with Pikachu!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu as he appeared.

"I'm waiting." Brian taunted the younger trainer.

"Fine. Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf!" The grass pokemon flung several leaves at the electric pokemon. Brian watched the attack silently until…

"Dodge NOW!" Pikachu swiftly danced around each leaf. "Now use Quick Attack." Pikachu raced in to hit his opponent.

"Now it's your turn to dodge," called Nick. Bellsprout weaved out of the way of the full body charge. "Use Vine Whip." A pair of vines grew from Bellsprout's small body and wrapped around Pikachu.

_Cripes! He's better than I thought._ "Pikachu, try using a Thundershock!" Pikachu charged up then released the electric attack. The sudden shock caused Bellsprout to release him.

"That didn't do much damage," Nick said confidently.

Brian merely shrugged. "Didn't need to do damage. I just needed a way of getting your pokemon to let go of mine. Now that he's free; Pikachu, use another Quick Attack!" Pikachu charged in to deliver a powerful strike.

Nick's eyes lit up as he quickly came up with a counter-attack. "Use Sleep Powder!" Bellsprout took a deep breath then blew out a sparkling blue power right in Pikachu's face.

Pikachu blinked then he started to stumble. Soon he was lying fast asleep on the ground.

"Pikachu is unable to continue battling," called Nurse Joy. "The winner is Bellsprout."

"Oh…. crud…" Brian moaned as he recalled his pokemon. "Ya did a good job, Pikachu. I just didn't see that attack coming." He turned to Nick who was celebrating with his pokemon. "That was very quick thinking. I wasn't expecting it."

Nick blushed a little with the praise. "Uh, thanks."

Joey ran forward with an edger look on his face. It seemed as though the last two battles sparked something inside him. He threw his pokeball to start his turn. Joey's small pokemon growled at Brian.

"Nidoran male, the Poison Pin pokemon," said DAN. "Its large ears flap like wings when it is listening to distant sounds. It extends toxic barbs when angered."

_Nice, _thought Brian. _If he trains it right, it will become a powerful pokemon._ "In this case I'll use the 'weak' pokemon that you were picking on yesterday. Mankey, time to fight!"

"Mankey!" cried the fighting-type pokemon as he took on a ready stance.

Robert's eyes narrowed a little as he observed the teen's pokemon. _That's a basic kempo stance…_

"Let's see whatcha got, little boy," Brian egged the new trainer.

Joey sent a small glare to the teen. "If that's the way you want to do it; Nidoran use your Take Down!"

Joey's pokemon just gave a confused look to his trainer.

"Mankey, start things off with Karate Chop." Mankey ran in and struck his opponent sending him flying. Nidoran quickly righted himself and waited for his next order.

Joey smirked. "Even I know that Fighting-type moves have little effect on Poison pokemon. Now use Horn Drill!" Again, Nidoran gave Joey a strange look. "Come on…" Joey whined.

Brian sighed in sympathy for the pokemon. "Now use Fury Swipes, Mankey." Mankey scratched at the smaller pokemon repeatedly.

Nidoran seemed to have trouble recovering from the attack.

Joey was growing frustrated with his pokemon. "Fine! Nidoran, use Hyper Beam!!"

Nidoran just gave Joey one last look before lying down and falling asleep.

"Nidoran refuses to battle, Mankey is the winner," said Nurse Joy professionally.

"Errr! Nidoran return!" The dozing pokemon vanished into his pokeball. "Why wouldn't it listen to me?" Joey sobbed.

Brian sighed. "Because you kept confusing it," he supplied.

Joey blinked. "W-what do you mean?"

"Nidoran is, in a way, a baby pokemon. It is very unlikely that it would know high level attacks like Hyper Beam or Horn Drill."

Joey took a moment to digest the new information. "Then what attacks does it know?"

Brian scratched the back of his neck. "Well at the least it would know Tackle, maybe even Leer. But the only way is to know is to train with your pokemon."

Joey nodded while Robert stepped forward. "Now it's time for me to battle you," he said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Brian smirked as he recalled Mankey and pulled out his final pokemon. "Dratini, time to fight!" The blue and white dragon pokemon cried happily as he appeared. "This is going to be a tough battle, ya ready?" Dratini nodded confidently as the two of them waited for Robert to select his pokemon.

"Here we go!" Robert yelled as he threw his pokeball. Soon the released white energy took the form of a large ox.

Brian gulped a little as he checked the PokeComplete. "Tauros the Wild Bull pokemon. When it targets an enemy, it charges furiously while whipping its body with its three long tails."

_This is going to get interesting,_ Brian thought as the bull pokemon pawed the ground. "You still ready, partner?" he asked his pokemon. Dratini looked back and appeared to give Brian a smirk of his own before focusing on the larger pokemon. "You're right, let's see what we can do."

Robert smiled at the teen trainer. "I'll give you the first attack."

Brian returned the smile. "Thanks. Dratini, start things out with your Slam attack!" Dratini jumped and twisted around and struck Tauros right on its forehead. However, Tauros barely budged from the direct attack.

"Tauros, use your Stomp," called Robert. The bull reared up and tried to crush the smaller pokemon under its hooves.

"Get otta there, Dratini!" Brian yelled in concern for his first pokemon. Dratini used his serpent-like body to weave out of the way of each of the attacks. "Try using Thunderwave now!" The fins on each side of Dratini's head started crackling with electricity for a few seconds before shorting out. "Ah, cripes… not again…"

Robert decided to push his attack. "Tauros use Take Down!" Tauros lowered its head and charged at Dratini.

Brian tried to keep his cool in the difficult situation. "Try Slam again."

The two pokemon collided and seemed evenly matched for a second, but Tauros' greater strength showed through and sent Dratini flying back. The dragon pokemon struggled a little to get back up.

"You going to give up?" Robert taunted.

Both trainer and pokemon sent a glare back at their opponent. "No way! Dratini try Thunderwave again." This time the electricity built up enough to have the attack be successful. Tauros was struck and became rooted where it stood. "YES!!!"

"What happened?" asked Ben.

"Thunderwave is a move that paralyzes the opponent," answered Nick. "Brian has the advantage over Dad now."

"Let's finish it with another Slam!" Brian called. Dratini raced in to try and win the battle, however Robert and Tauros were not going to let them win that easily.

"Horn Attack!" commanded Robert. Tauros twisted its head enough to strike Dratini with one of its horns. The dragon pokemon was knocked back and did not get back up.

"Dratini is unable to battle. The win goes to Robert and Tauros," said Nurse Joy a little sadly.

Brian helped up his pokemon. "You okay, Dratini?" The dragon pokemon nodded a little. Brian smiled. "That's good. Don't be disappointed, alright? Robert has been training that tauros for years, right?"

Robert nodded as he recalled his pokemon to its pokeball.

"That was a great first try, now take a nice rest." Brian returned his pokemon and turned to Nurse Joy. "Umm… Could you take care of my pokemon, again please?"

Nurse Joy just smiled sweetly. "I can take care of all of the pokemon while the rest of you celebrate your first battle."

Robert smiled. "I agree. Allow me to treat you to dinner as celebration and an apology for how my kids treated that mankey of yours."

Brian did not need to voice his answer as his stomach growled loud enough to get everyone laughing.

End for now

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to sit and read my fic. Now please leave a review (one with ideas for rival trainers would be greatly appreciated.) Also, Brian will eventually be traveling with others, just not yet.


	5. To the Forest

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. The pansy 4Kids and the fantastic Nintendo own it. However, I own every OC in this story.

A/N: Hey…. Sorry about the long update. Not a lot of time to sit and type. But I hope you enjoy this story anyway.

Chapter 5: To the Forest

Brian sat happily as he listened to his new "rivals" talk about how they where going to form the best teams ever, and then become the best trainers. He smiled as he told them that to be the best, they would have to spend a lot of time training, and that the stronger the got, the more people out there will show up to try and beat them.

"No need to scare them," Robert chuckled.

Brian grinned. "They need to know what's in store if they make boasts like that. The easiest thing to do is set an achievable goal first, then set the next one, until you're the best you can be."

"What are you trying to do?" asked Joey. He and his brothers waited for Brian to answer.

Brian got a far away look in his eyes. "I'm going to find a certain someone, then defeat him. He's the only person that I really want to beat. However, he has this reputation as one of the strongest trainers in the _world._" He sighed as he picked at the rest of his food.

"Is he a member of an Elite Four?" Nick asked with interest.

Brian shook his head. "No, if he where it would be a lot easier to find him. He only appears for certain events, any other time he's doing impressive training somewhere."

"I get the impression that you know this guy, personally," Robert commented.

Brian nodded. "Believe it or not, but he's my uncle. He's the one that gave me my sunglasses."

"What's he like?" asked Ben.

"I've only met him a few times, but he's a great guy. He's funny, strong, and has a strong sense of honor. Last time I saw him was on my birthday six years ago. Some idiot trainer demanded a battle, and he accepted. My uncle only used one pokemon to KO all six of his opponent's."

"What pokemon was it?" asked Ben.

"Was it a rare one?" asked Joey.

"Or was it a legendary pokemon?" asked Nick eagerly.

"Sandslash," Brian responded simply.

"_Sandslash!_" the brothers cried in disbelief.

"Yep. Sandslash was his first pokemon, much like yours. It only stands that it would be one of his strongest. He's caught and trained almost every pokemon out there. He's also won every league he's entered." Brian smiled as he leaned back in his seat. "Now you can see why I want to beat him."

"If he's that strong, then he can't lose…" Joey wondered.

Brian gave a confident smirk. "No one's invincible. I can win if I train hard enough and have the right pokemon."

"Do you know which ones you want to catch?" asked Robert.

Brian shrugged. "Not sure really. Dratini was the only one I was hoping to get. The rest will most likely be whoever I find along my journey." He glanced at the clock and was surprised at the time. "Wow! I didn't think it was that late. I need to get back to the PokeCenter and get some sleep."

The young trainers started complaining, but their father hushed them. "I wish you luck on your journey, and I hope you'll stop by soon," said Robert.

Brian smiled as he shook hands with his new friends. "Don't worry. I'll be stopping by just before the Indigo League Tournament starts. So I hope you all will be a lot stronger by then." The boys promised that they would and Robert also promised to oversee their training. Brian thanked them for the meal then headed back to the Center for a good rest.

Brian walked through Viridian Forest humming along with a song on the radio. He had headphones attached to his PokeComplete so he would not scare off any wild pokemon. Brian loved music. It seemed to make him happy whenever he listened to it.

He stopped for a short break on a tree stump. _Today's been good; clear sky, not too hot, and a nice breeze. Only thing to make this day better would be if I were able to catch a new pokemon._ Almost as an answer to his unspoken wish a small green pokemon crawled down the tree in front of him.

"Hey! It's a caterpie," Brian pulled out one of his pokeballs. "Spearow, time to fight!"

"Speeer!" cried the bird pokemon.

"Spearow, use Peck on the caterpie!" Spearow dove in and started pecking the unsuspecting pokemon. The caterpie tried to counter with String Shot, but Spearow easily dodged the attack. "Use Peck again!" Spearow did as he was told soon the caterpie had swirls for eyes. "Now you're mine. Go pokeball!" The ball hit and the caterpie vanished inside. It barely shook before the light went off. "Yes! Another friend." Spearow just rolled his eyes and stared preening his feathers. "Ya did good, Spearow. Return."

Brian looked at the ball containing Caterpie. _That makes my fifth. Just one more to make my first team._ He smiled as he started thinking about various strategies that his team could do. Suddenly he heard a rustling in some bushes nearby and then a weedle crawled out. Brian froze and backed away from the wild pokemon slowly. "I-if w-weedle are here…" Brian got very nervous. "…Then beedrill can't be far away." He slowly made his way down the path until the weedle was out of sight, then he turned and ran until he was out of breath.

"Man… forgot beedrills… lived here… gotta be… careful." Brian was scared of beedrills mostly due to the fact one stung him while he was very young. He rubbed his chest and took some deep breaths to calm his heart; he did not want another attack. "I guess I'll take a break and feed my pokemon and hold off on the training."

Brian munched on some dried fruit as his pokemon ate their food. Caterpie had recovered and was eating next to Mankey. Dratini and Pikachu chatted as they ate while Spearow seemed to prefer to be alone. He was about to recall them when someone wondered into his little camp. The person was a young boy, no older than ten. He was dressed in a plain tee shirt and jean shorts. He did not seem to see Brian as he was looking at the pokemon. "Who're you?" Brian asked.

The boy jumped in surprise. "Ah! I didn't see you there. Um… are these your pokemon?"

Brian nodded while keeping an eye on the boy. "Yes they are. Now answer my question: Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"My name's Mark, and I'm a trainer like you. I was wondering around when I saw your pokemon through the bushes," the boy explained.

Brian gave Mark a serious look. "I hope you weren't going to try and take them."

Mark shook his head. "No, never. I was wondering if we could have a battle."

Brian smiled and recalled his pokemon. "Sure, why not. How's a 3 on 3 with no substitutions sound to you?"

"Sure. Let's go!" Mark threw his first pokeball causing a medium sized bid to appear.

"Pidgeotto the evolved form of pidgey," said DAN. "It flies over its large territory looking for pray, which it downs with its powerful claws."

"In that case, I'll use Spearow." Brian tossed to pokeball containing his bird pokemon. After appearing, Spearow stared at his opponent with an unimpressed look.

"You got the first move," offered Brian.

"Thanks. Pidgeotto use Gust."

"Spearow, dodge then use Fury Attack," called Brian. Spearow moved out of the wind attack then tried his own.

"Use Sand Attack now." Pidgeotto started blowing up a large cloud of sand. Spearow cut off his assault and flew away to avoid the blinding sand.

"Spearow, show them your Agility." Spearow started moving faster and faster, making harder for the other bird pokemon to follow. "Peak now!" Spearow moved in and landed a solid hit. "Finish it with Fury Attack!" Soon Mark's pokemon fell in a daze.

"Pidgeotto, return..." said Mark a little sadly.

"First round is mine. Spearow, you were great, now return."

Mark pulled out his next ball. "Round two, let's go!" This time a round blue pokemon stood in front of Brian.

Brian took a quick look at his pokedex. "Poliwhirl the tadpole pokemon. Staring at the spiral pattern on its belly tends to cause sleepiness."

_ Heh, that's a water-type pokemon, and they're weak against electric attacks…_ "Okay Pikachu, time to fight." Except, Pikachu did not appear. Instead Caterpie stood ready to fight. "What the…?"

"No substitutions, remember?" said Mark with a big grin. _I'll win this one easily._

Brian scratched his head. _Darn, and I just caught her too. Can't be helped._ "Okay, Caterpie use String Shot." Caterpie started spraying strands of silk at Poliwhirl.

"Use Water Gun," called Mark. Poliwhirl sprayed water at the strands, knocking them off course and gave Caterpie and unwanted shower.

"Hang in there Caterpie. Try dodging." Caterpie moved out of the way of the attack, and started climbing a nearby tree.

"Use Water Gun again," Mark cried. Poliwhirl tried to hit the caterpillar pokemon, however Caterpie moved behind the trunk of the tree and avoided any damage. "Hey, that's cheating."

"No it's not. She's just using the terrain to he advantage," Brian commented. "Use Sting Shot once more."

Caterpie tried hitting Poliwhirl, but the water pokemon dodged and countered with another spray of water. This time the attack hit knocked Caterpie off the branch, out cold.

Brian sighed as he recalled his pokemon. "You did good for a first time. Next time, you'll be bettered prepared." He looked over at Mark who had a confident grin on. "Last round. Dratini, time to fight."

"Balbasaur, let's go!" A small pokemon with a large bulb on its back appeared.

"Saur…." Said the pokemon lazily.

Brian's PokeCompleate beeped as it scanned the pokemon. "Balbasaur the seed pokemon. For sometime after its birth, it grows by gaining nourishment from the bulb on its back."

"Balbasaur use Tackle," called Mark.

"Dratini, dodge then use Slam." The dragon pokemon weaved out of the way of the charging grass-type the he struck it with his tail, sending it tumbling head over heels. Balbasaur shook its head and sent a small glare at Dratini.

"Now use Razor Leaf." Several sharp leaves started flaying towards Dratini from Balbasaur's back.

"Defend with Thunder Wave." Dratini's fins started to crackle with electricity and then were released at the incoming attack, causing both of them to stop.

"Interesting defense," Mark commented.

"Tanks, but it's time to end this. Dratini use a full power Slam!" Brian cried.

Mark grinned. "In that case: Balbasaur, all out Tackle!"

The two collided, however the grass pokemon was no match. It was knocked away in a dazed state. Brian smiled happily as he praised his dragon. Mark sighed as he recalled his pokemon.

"You're pretty good there Mark," said Brian. "How long have you been a trainer?"

Mark blushed. "Um… only a couple of weeks, and I've only caught these three pokemon."

Brian smiled a friendly smile. "Hey, I've only been a trainer for a few days. I'm pretty sure that I would've lost if this was my first battle."

Mark blinked. "This wasn't your first battle?"

"I'm gonna take a wild guess here: was this your fist time battling?"

Mark nodded. "I've been wondering around looking for trainers to get stronger, but you the first person I've seen all week."

Brian blinked in surprise. "That's strange. I've read that a lot of battles happen between beginner trainers along the main road."

Mark looked away. "W-well I didn't want to face each and everyone that—"

"You got lost," Brian stated simply.

"Erk!" Mark blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, I'm a little lost myself. However I've got a map. So if you want, I'll help you."

"Thanks," Mark smiled.

Brian and Mark walked through the forest, sharing stories and battle strategies. Soon they happened upon a river and Brian called for a break. As they were about to sit down, Mark spotted something in the river.

"What is it?" Brian asked only to see a struggling rattata getting carried away by the current. "Dratini, let's go! Help it out!"

Dratini let out a determined cry as he dove into the river and swam after the rattata. The dragon pokemon helped keep the small rat pokemon afloat as he carried it back to his trainer.

"Is it alright?" asked a worried Mark.

"Don't know yet," Brian replied with a concerned look on his face. "Do me a favor and start up a campfire. We need to warm this guy up." Mark nodded and ran off to get some wood while Brian got a towel from his bag. "Come on… you can do it…"

To be continued…

Next time: Find out the fate of the rescued rattata, and see what is in store for Brian when he finally reaches Pewter City.

A/N: FINALLY! I was able to sit down and get this typed. I thank you all who took the time to sit and read this. I hope to crank out chapters as fast as I can, but I have many other things I want to do as well… Until next time!


	6. New City, New Challenges

Disclaimer: I want to own pokemon. That way I'd have tons and tons of money…. But I don't… so I have to say I don't. But if any the writers want to use my story, please pay in cash up front.

A/N: I'd like to thank the people who took the time to review my story, and to say sorry. I've already decided who will be traveling with Brian, but that doesn't mean I won't use any character bios that you leave. I need ideas for rival trainers. Now story time…

Chapter 6: New City, New Challenges

Brian held the now dry and warm rattata as Mark put another stick on the fire. The pokemon was sleeping soundly curled in a towel.

"Guess we're staying put until it wakes up, huh?" Mark commented as he watched the fire.

"Guess so," Brian answered. "That way we'll know is it's completely fine or not."

"How do you think it got in the river anyway?" Mark wondered.

Brian shrugged. "Could've been any number of ways. But one thing is for sure, it was completely exhausted."

"What makes you say that?" asked Mark.

"It passed out soon after I got it out of the river." Brian sighed. "I hope nothing bad comes of this." Mark just gave Brian a confused look. "Just like people, pokemon can have negative effects from traumatizing experiences. I other words, this rattata could become afraid of water. That would make it very difficult to battle a pokemon that uses water attacks, or if the battle took place near water, etc."

Mark blinked in amazement. "How do you know so much? I thought you said that you've only been a trainer for a few days."

Brian gave a small smile. "Didn't you wonder why I'm older than most beginner trainers? Do to personal reasons; I couldn't start out on my journey at ten. So I've spent the past six years studying. Reading everything I could get my hands on regarding pokemon. So all I am is book smart. I have no idea how to deal with every situation, but then again, no one does. What I'm going to do is my best, and see how far that takes me."

"That's a pretty broad goal," Mark commented.

Brian laughed. "Actually, my goal is to defeat a certain trainer. Once I do that… who knows. What's your goal?"

Mark scratched his head. "Well, the reason I became a trainer was so I could be with my friends."

"Your friends?" said Brian, confused.

Mark nodded. "Yeah. All of my friends have already become pokemon trainers, so I want to try and catch up."

Brian nodded. "A good goal. I wish you luck. By the way, are you going to take the gym challenge?"

"You mean compete in the Indigo League? I'm not sure… I don't know what everyone else is doing, but I don't see why not."

Brian smiled again. "Well that's what I'm doing. So I'm on my way to Pewter for my first gym challenge."

"So we might be facing each other again?" Mark asked with a small amount of excitement in his voice.

Brian grinned. "If that's the case then we need a lot more training. Now it's getting late, we should turn in. We'll talk more in the morning."

The next day they came to the edge of the forest. The rattata had recovered and seemed to develop a liking for Brian, as it followed him everywhere.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Mark asked.

"First, I'll take it to the PokeCenter in Pewter to get a full check up. Then I might keep it. As a beginner trainer it's good to have a variety of pokemon."

"Well, good luck then Brian. As for me, I'm gonna head home."

Brian blinked in surprise. "Why are you doing that for? I thought you wanted to catch up to your friends."

Mark nodded. "I do, but there are a few things I thought about last night that I want to do first. Like seeing my family, finding out what my friends are up to, and catching some special pokemon."

"Okay…" Brian did not understand the third reason, but did not ask. "Hope everything works out for you. See ya again?"

"Yep!" Mark yelled as he ran off down another path as Brian continued towards Pewter City and his first Gym Battle.

* * *

Brian blinked as he stared at the nurse behind the desk. Everything about her looked like Nurse Joy from Viridian City. Even the hairstyle and demeanor where the same.

"Is there something wrong?" the nurse asked confused.

Brian shook his head to bring himself back to the present. "Um… Nurse Joy, what are you doing here?"

"I work here," she replied simply, like it was obvious.

"But I thought you worked in Viridian City," Brian said confused.

Nurse Joy blinked then smiled a friendly smile. "Oh, you must have met my younger sister."

"Sister?" Brian asked even more confused.

"Yes, all of my sisters and cousins all work in Pokemon Centers. It's funny, but we all look alike and we're all named Joy," she explained with a giggle.

Brian was still confused, but decided that this was one of the facts of life that should just be taken as a given. "Anyway, I'd like you to take a look at this rattata." Brian placed said pokemon on the counter. "It almost drowned in a river yesterday. I want to make sure that it's okay. Also, if you could look at my other pokemon, that'll be great."

"Oh, dear!" Joy exclaimed. "How did that happen?"

Brian shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm just glad that I was able to save it."

"Okay, then. It'll be a little while, do you wait in the lobby or a room?" she asked nicely.

"A room please, I'm pretty tired."

* * *

Brian yawned and grumbled as he awoke from an unwanted nap. He hated the way his medicine always made him tired. Most of the time he could ignore it, but other times it would knock him out, especially if he was already low on energy. A knock on the door got his attention. "Yes? Who is it?"

The door opened to reviled Nurse Joy. "It's just me. I wanted to see if you where okay."

Brian blinked with confused look. "Uh, not that I don't appreciate it, but why?"

"Well, I've paged you four times that your pokemon are all set, but you didn't show up."

Brian blushed. "Sorry. I guess I'm a deep sleeper. Thanks all the same. How's the rattata?"

Joy smiled. "He's perfectly fine. He's with your other pokemon in the lobby."

Brian thanked Nurse Joy again and headed out to fetch his pokemon partners. When he got to the lobby, he was treated to an interesting sight. The rattata he just rescued was sitting in front of his pokeballs and was currently in a glaring match with another trainer's growlight.

_Great,_ Brian mentally grumbled. _Just what I needed, a guard rat…_ "Oi, Ratata. Calm down." Rattata glanced at Brian, sent one more glare at the puppy pokemon, then ran over and rubbed himself against Brian's leg. Brian laughed nervously at the affectionate display. "Hey, cut it out…"

"That's a pretty territorial pet you've got there, kid," said the growlight's trainer.

Brian gave him an annoyed look. The trainer was barely five feet tall and had a thin build. His clothes consisted of khaki pants, a short-sleeved sky blue polo shirt, dress shoes, and a pair of expensive looking sunglasses sat on his head. Despite the trainer's younger age and appearance, the thing that really ticked Brian off was the smug superior look on his face.

Brian took a couple of calming breaths. "I apologize. I just caught this rattata earlier today, so please excuse its lack of training."

The boy scoffed. "Despite your size, you _are_ just a kid."

That did it. "I'm sorry, but where do you get the right to call me a 'kid?' I'm at least five years older than you," Brian demanded getting angry.

The boy just laughed in Brian's face. "Years have nothing to do with intellect and maturity. Of which I'm far above you."

Brian had never wanted to smack someone as much as he did right then. However, he knew that would not be the best course of action. "Believe whatever you want," Brian said as he gathered his pokemon. "I have nothing to do with you, so excuse me." He then headed out to some training to work off the stress.

* * *

"Once more! GO!"

Brian watched as his pokemon ran along the track he drew in the dirt. Pikachu and Rattata lead the pack, followed closely by Mankey. Spearow was in fourth (since he had to run instead of fly), with Dratini in fifth. Finally Caterpie was brining up the rear. He smiled as they all crossed the finish line. _Alright, they're getting faster,_ Brian thought to himself. "Okay, water break." The pokemon cheered happily as he poured water in various bowls.

Brian just watched as the pokemon drink their fill. He got a nice feeling as he looked at his pokemon. They seemed to give him a sense of victory, achievement, and maybe a little bit of courage. He liked it, and he hoped that the feeling would last his entire journey. After they where drinking, Brian recalled them and set about getting some food for himself.

As he was walking around the town, the trainer from earlier stepped in front of him. His appearance put Brian in a sour mood quickly. "Waddaya want?" Brian asked irritated.

The boy just pulled out a checkbook. "How much for your pokemon?"

Brian was taken aback. "Excuse me? Are you trying to buy my friends?" he asked in disbelief.

The boy just looked at Brian. "You seem to have a good mankey and dratini. However, your weak training methods will never bring out their full potential. So do what's best for the pokemon, and give them over to a person who will train them the way they need to be. Namely: me."

Brian stepped right up to the young trainer and gave the fiercest glare he could muster. "Listen, as I'm only going to say this once," he said in a deep and slow voice. "I will never even _think_ about selling any of my comrades. If you try this again..." Brian just let the implied threat sit as he walked away.

The boy stood there with a look of pure rage on his face. "He won't get away with this…"

* * *

"…I see. That explains a few things," said the waitress as she handed Brian his third pizza order.

When Brian arrived at the restaurant, he slumped in a booth and ordered pizza after pizza. When the waitress asked if something was wrong, he unintentionally told her everything that happened that afternoon. To which she just gave an understanding smile.

"You must've run into Steven," she surmised. "He's got quite a reputation of being a self-proclaimed know-it-all."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Really?" his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I thought he was a well known pain-in-the-butt."

The waitress sighed. "He's the type of kid who always got what he wanted. He's very spoiled and self-centered."

Brian looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You talk like you know him, personally."

The girl blushed in embarrassment. "Y-yeah… Before he left on his pokemon journey last month, he was my next-door neighbor. Rumor has it he already has two badges. Oh! I've got to get back to work. See ya."

Brian stopped eating his pizza as he went over this new information. He sighed as he realized that most of it just confirmed what he already thought about Steven, which was not a good thing. He paid his bill and went for a walk in a nearby park. As he was walking he spotted Steven sitting on a bench glaring at everything.

"Looks like Steven's ticked off again," commented a passerby.

"Yeah… You'd think he'd know by now; money can't buy everything," commented another.

"You know, I heard he paid for the two badges he has."

"No way! I heard he bought himself a spot in the tournament."

"Well, I hear that even though he has a lot of pokemon, he's never battled before."

Brian had enough. Yes, Steven was a jerk, but some of those rumors where beyond cruel. Brian maneuvered himself through the small crowd until he was right in front of Steven. "Yo, brat!" he called.

Steven's head jerked up and he glared fully at Brian. "What do you want? I thought you had nothing to do with me?"

Brian did not bite at the jab. Instead he said four simple words. "Pokemon battle. Here, now."

Steven's eyes went wide. Brian could not tell if it was from excitement, surprise, or something else. However Steven did stand and looked Brian in the eye.

"And if I refuse?" Steven questioned carefully.

Brian just shrugged. "Nothing. You only confirm the rumors I've been hearing about you. And I'll tell ya; they ain't pretty."

"Okay then," Steven replied with some confidence as he walked a distance away from Brian. "What are the rules you want to go by?"

Brian thought for a moment. "How's a full 6 vs. 6 with no substitutions? Winner is decided when all of one side's pokemon can't battle."

Steven gapped in disbelief. "Are you serious? How can we do something like that without a ref?"

"When you recall your pokemon, you consent that round," Brian answered calmly. "Any more complaints?"

"Only you," Steven shouted as he pulled out his first pokeball. "Nidorina, GO!" A blue pokemon appeared and started scratching its ears, with a board expression on its face.

Brian quickly checked his PokeComplete. "Nidorina the poison pin pokemon. The female has a gentle temperament. It emits ultrasonic cries that have the power to befuddle foes."

_Interesting choice,_ Brian thought impressed. "Rattata, time to fight!" Rattata appeared and glared at his enemy. "First move's yours."

Steven just held a determined look on his face. "Nidorina, us Scratch." The mid-sized blue pokemon charged in and swiped at the smaller pokemon with her front claws.

"Dodge the use Quick Attack!" called Brian. Rattata quickly moved out of the attack then body checked the bigger pokemon. Nidorina barely budged but still sent a glare at the rat pokemon.

"Use Bite this time," commanded Steven. Nidorina's mouth opened wide to revile more than a few sharp teeth.

"Dodge again, then use Focus Energy this time," Brian said hurriedly. Rattata weaved out of the way then started to glow a faint blue. "Now, use Quick Attack again." Rattata charged in and this time the attack seemed to do some damage.

"Wh-what?" Steven stuttered surprised.

"Focus Energy is a move that increases the chance for critical hits for a short time," Brian explained. "It's a basic move."

"Whatever," Steven grumbled. "Nidorina, time to use you Fury Swipes." The poison pokemon swung repeatedly at the normal-type.

"Quick Attack to the right," called Brian. Rattata dashed to his right and out of the way of the attack. "Now use your Hyper Fang." Rattata's front teeth started glowing as he raced in to deliver a powerful bite. Unfortunately, Steven was one step ahead.

"Poison Pin." Multiple purple pins shot from Nidorina's mouth. Rattata could not dodge in time and took the full attack. The force of the attack knocked him back a few feet. He tried to get up, but fell over exhausted instead.

Brian sighed with a small smile. "Rattata, return." He looked at the pokeball containing the weary warrior. "Great job. I'm proud of you." Brian looked over at Steven, who seemed more than a little excited. "First round's yours. Gotta say, you're not bad, but now's the time of my comeback. Pikachu, time to fight!"

"Nidorina, Poison Pin again," Steven called with some excitement in his voice.

"Pikachu, dodge then use Agility." Pikachu jumped out of the way of the poison attack then started moving faster and faster. Soon all Nidorina could see was a yellow blur. "Jump on her back." Pikachu jumped onto Nidorina's back, which surprised and confused both pokemon and trainer.

_What's he up to?_ Steven wondered as Nidorina tried to shake of the electric rodent.

"Thunder Shock, now!" called Brian.

_Crap!_ Steven thought too late as Pikachu let loose a pointblank electric attack on the larger pokemon. Nidorina started smoking the collapsed. "Grrrrrr… Nidorina, return!" Steven glared at Brian who just stood waiting for the next move. "If that's how you're gonna play, then I'll do this: Go Growlight!"

Brian just looked at the fire dog with a small amount of curiosity. _This growlight looks a lot stronger than his last pokemon. Why would he be sending out his strongest now?_ Brian shook his head to focus on the current fight. "This should be a good match. Pikachu, use your Thunder Shock."

"Flame Thrower, now!" ordered Steven. The two attacks collided resulting in an explosion that blew both of the pokemon back, but not out. Steven glared at Brian, who still looked calm and collected. It was like he was waiting for something. "Okay, Growlight. Time to use your special attack. Dig!"

Brian's eyes went wide as he watched the puppy pokemon vanish underground. _This is bad…_ "Pikachu, try to stay calm and sense when it's going to appear."

"Pika…" Pikachu nodded as he looked over the field. Suddenly, a crack formed right underneath him. "Chu?"

"Oh no!" cried Brian as Growlight erupted out of the ground, sending Pikachu flying. Brian ran in and was able to catch his pokemon before it fell back to the ground. "You alright there, Pikachu?"

"Chaaa…" Pikachu replied weakly.

Brian smiled at his friend. "It's okay, as long as you're fine. Return." Brian looked back at Steven, who seemed to get his smug superior look on his face again. "So the score's now 2 to 1. You're better than the rumors suggest. Now let's see _how_ much better. Mankey, time to fight!"

"Key-key!" Mankey cried as he hopped from one foot to the other anxiously.

"Let's start things off with Fury Swipes," Brian called out.

"Fend it off with Flame Thrower," Steven cried nervously. Flames blasted from Growlight's mouth at the ground in front of Mankey, stopping his attack.

"Jump up over the fire, then use Karate Chop." Mankey leaped into the air higher than Steven expected. Mankey then twisted so he would fall at Growlight. When Mankey's attack connected, it had the additional power from the fall. Needless to say, Growlight was hit _hard_.

"Come on! Get up! You can do it!" Steven kept calling at his pokemon. Growlight was having a difficult time recovering from the last attack.

Brian's eyes narrowed, as Steven showed no signs of switching his pokemon. _Maybe he…_ "Mankey, stand down."

"Key?" said Mankey confused as he walked over to his trainer's side.

"What are you doing?" cried Steven. "The fight isn't over!"

Brian turned to face Steven. "I quit. You win. Happy?" he said in an overly board tone. Brian then bowed to Steven and walked away without a look back.

_To Be Continued…_

A/N: The next chappie is completed! I honestly didn't create Steven before writing this chapter, he just sort of… happened… Anyway it still made for a good chapter. Leave reviews if you like. I'm still taking ideas for rival trainers/friends.


	7. New Friend?

Disclaimer: Don't own pokemon, so please don't sue me. I don't have anything of value. This is just for the entertainment of others and myself.

A/N: I'm finally deciding to update this story! Sorry it took so long. Games, laziness, games, real life, games, and new books; all take up one's free time. Oh, did I mention that I was playing a lot of games? Now story time.

Chapter 7: New Friend?

Brian yawned as he stretched out the kinks in his joints. He looked out the window of the PokeCenter, and smiled at the clear blue sky. After the fight with Steven yesterday, Brian did some more training and was surprised when Caterpie evolved into Metapod.

_Once she evolves into a butterfree, I'll really be able to bring out her full strength,_ Brian thought as he dressed. _She'll also be the best backup when I take on the Pewter Gym. _As Brian was leaving the Center, for some breakfast, a familiar figure stood in his way.

"Mornin' Steven," Brian said evenly. Steven did not respond, but kept looking at Brian. "If you have something to say, say it." Brian was getting slightly annoyed. "If not, then I'm going." Brian continued to walk past the younger trainer, when Steven said one word.

"Why?"

Brian stopped and turned to Steven. "Why what?" he asked, not sure what the younger trainer was referring to.

"Why did you forfeit? You where winning!"

"Oho," Brian replied as he thought about it. "Umm… no reason…"

"Don't lie!" Steven shouted as he whirled around at Brian. "All my life, people have done what I've asked without question. You where the first to defy me to my face. You are also the first to defeat my Growlithe. So why did you give up?"

Brian looked into Steven's eyes and saw a lot of anger but also a lot of hurt. "I don't kick people when they're down. It looked like you only had the two pokemon, so trying to continue would be pointless. If you are a true pokemon trainer, you will catch and train your own pokemon, instead of trying to buy them off other trainers."

"Then face me again in a one on one battle," Steven demanded. "I'll show you how 'true' I am."

Brian gave a mental grumble. _This is not how I wanted to start the day…_ "Fair enough," he agreed. "There's a practice field behind the Center. Follow me."

Soon the two trainers stood apart from each other with determined looks on their faces. Brian selected his pokemon. "Remember: one-on-one and no hard feelings. Dratini, time to fight!"

"Let's go, Growlithe!"

"First move is yours, Stevie," Brian taunted.

If Steven was bothered, he did not show it. "Tackle, Growlithe!"

"In that case, we'll use Slam." When the two pokemon collided, Brian was surprised to see both of them knocked back by the other's attack. _Is that the same Growlithe?_ Brian wondered. "Dratini, use Thunder Wave." As the dragon pokemon's fins started to crackle, their opponent was already planning a counter move.

"Dodge it with Dig," Steven commanded with a smile. Growlithe vanished underground as Dratini's attack passed harmlessly.

Brian started to become nervous. _Dratini isn't as agile as Pikachu, so dodging is a bit out of the question._ He watched the field looking for any sign of the fire-type while Dratini got more and more uneasy. Suddenly, Growlithe erupted under the dragon pokemon, sending him flying.

"Dratini!" Brian cried worriedly. "Try rolling!" Dratini grabbed his tail in his mouth and spun himself like a wheel when he landed, until he came to a stop in front of the fire puppy with a smirk. Brian blinked with a blank expression. "That wasn't what I had in mind…" He shook his head. _I have to stay focused. _"Use Wrap!" Dratini lunged at Growlithe and wrapped his long body around the firedog and started squeezing.

"Growlithe, use Bite," called Steven.

The puppy pokemon's jaws latched down on the dragon. Dratini cried in pain and released his hostage. The two pokemon squared off as their trainers thought of the next move.

_He's really trained that pokemon, I don't know if I can win,_ Brian thought as he glanced at Steven. _I've only been a trainer for a week, but I'm sure to get lucky._

"Growlithe, use Flamethrower!" Steven yelled, trying to end the battle.

_One shot,_ Brian thought. "Counter it with Dragon Rage!"

Dratini's ball of flame-like energy collided with Growlithe's stream of fire. The two attacks started to build on one another, until they exploded. The force from the blast was enough to knock the trainers off their feet.

* * *

Nurse Joy was working the front desk when an explosion sounded from out back. It was not unusual for trainers to have battles in the practice rings, however there where the few that tended to overdue it. Unfortunately, the pokemon ended up paying the price. She quickly ran outside with a chancy next to her. When she reached the training area, the smoke was starting to clear, revealing a pair of tired pokemon glaring at each other.

_What on earth?_ Nurse Joy wondered as the rest of the smoke vanished to show the trainers, looking just as worn out as their pokemon. "What's going on?" she called out in surprise and confusion.

Brian glanced at the pokemon nurse and gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry 'bout that. We're almost finished here."

"You got that right!" yelled Steven. "Flamethrower, once more!"

"Dragon Rage!" called Brian.

Again, the two attacks collided and exploded. This time, when the smoke cleared, no one was standing.

"Jeeze…" sighed Nurse Joy. "Some trainers.

* * *

Steven groaned and rubbed his head. He had a massive headache and his body had a dull pain all over. _What happened?_ He wondered as some of the pain faded.

"Oh! You're awake at last," came an annoyingly familiar voice. Steven tried to glare at Brian but settled at looking in his general direction.

"You here to gloat about you victory over me?" Steven asked with a small amount of sadness in his voice.

"Actually, I wanted to be the first to congratulate you," Brian replied.

"What do you mean?" Steven was very confused.

"You won."

Steven's face brightens for a moment, then darkened. "You don't have to lie to me. If you won, then say so."

Brian sighed. _He's being difficult…_ "I'm not lying. We where all knocked out by that blast, but your growlithe was the first one to wake up."

Steven just stared at the ceiling of the room. "You call that a win?"

Brian shrugged. "Officially, it would be ruled as a tie. I have to say though, that pokemon of yours is tough. How'd you train it like that?" he asked, generally interested.

Steven blinked, confused. "Why do you want to know?"

Brian shrugged. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Every trainer has their secrets to raising pokemon."

Steven sat up slowly. "You're being awfully nice to me, considering what happened yesterday."

Brian sighed. "I'll admit that I'm angry that you tried to buy my pokemon. However, I try not to hold a grudge. Besides, I worked out most of my frustration over you with the battles."

Steven looked at Brian then at the wall. "You've got a point… My family owns the local pharmacy, so I have access to the items there."

Brian's eyes bulged. "You're giving your pokemon steroids?!"

"No way!" Steven shouted. "… but I did give him some protein and iron supplements…" he almost mumbled.

Brian relaxed after hearing that. "I've read that you could increase a pokemon's stats by giving them vitamins, but it isn't recommended for long term use."

"Why not?" Steven asked.

"Well… there are a lot of technical reasons, but the simplest is: it could stunt you pokemon's growth. Also, the more you use them, the less effective they become."

"I see…" Steven replied amazed. "How do you know so much?"

Brian shrugged. "Most of what I know can be found in books, if you know where to look."

Steven was quiet for a little while before asking: "What are you going to do now?"

Brian thought for a moment. "Well, I was going to do more training before facing the gym. Though, I need to put that idea on hold until Dratini recovers."

"Why are you waiting to take on the gym?"

"I've been a trainer for about a week. So I don't think I'm strong enough to—"

"You don't need strength," Steven interrupted. "You've got type advantage with your mankey."

Brian gave a frustrated sigh. "It doesn't always work out that way. Besides, if Mankey is defeated, then what?"

Steven got quiet as he thought, then his face lit up. "Has your caterpie evolved yet?"

Brian nodded a little. "Yeah, late yesterday afternoon. Why?"

"Bring it to the pharmacy in town later. I'll have something for you." Steven then raced out of the room. Brian scratched his head, confused, but decided to take Steven up on his offer.

* * *

Later that day, Brian stood in front of the town's pharmacy. He had waited until Dratini was fully recovered before setting out to meet Steven. _I wonder what it is that he wants ta give me, _he thought as he walked in the store.

Inside Brian saw various potions, antidotes, and other medical paraphernalia for pokemon and people. As he was looking through the supplies, a woman in a lab coat approached him. She had dark brown hair that was tied in a tight bun and a kind face.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked.

"Um… I was asked to meet someone here," Brian replied.

The woman gave a motherly smile. "You must be Steven's friend. He mentioned someone was going to come by."

_I wouldn't call him my "friend," _Brian thought, but nodded anyway.

"He said that you're a pretty good trainer. Maybe there's hope for him," she commented as she turned with a motion for Brian to follow.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, confused to the comment.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a mother's worry. See, Steven's rarely got along with anyone before. It's nice to see him at least try."

Brian said nothing as they walked to the back of the store, and into what looked like a large storage room. They continued to walk the back of the room where Brian saw Steven sitting in a chair reading the latest issue of _Pokemon Friend._ The magazine was a useful tool for trainers to help raise their pokemon.

"Steven," called his mother. "Your friend is here."

Steven looked up and gave Brian a small smile. "I wasn't sure you'd show up."

Brian shrugged. "You where pretty vague about what you had for me, and I'm curious."

Steven's mother smiled. "I'll let you boys have fun. Just be careful back here, I need to get back to work."

"Thanks Mom," replied Steven. His mother nodded and left.

"She seems nice," Brian commented. "Now what is it you wanted to show me?"

"Ah, that's right. To try and make up for being a big jerk, I have two things for you."

"Really?" Brian was now very interested. "What are they?"

"First, here." Steven handed Brian what looked like a peace of candy.

Brian glanced at the candy, and then looked at Steven with a raised eyebrow. "What, exactly, is this for?"

Now it was Steven's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You've never seen a Rare Candy before?"

Brian's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. "You mean it's an actual piece of candy? I thought it was the name of a medicine."

"Well… it is medicine. It's just made to look like candy," Steven explained. "It's easier to give pokemon things they'd enjoy, wouldn't you agree?"

Brian nodded at the logic behind that statement. "So, why are you giving this to me?"

"It's to help your Caterpie evolve into a butterfree. If you feed it the candy it should speed up its evolution."

Brian smiled and shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I can't."

Steven was confused. Most trainers where always looking for one of those Rare Candies for the boost it gave their pokemon. "Why not?"

"Well… First: I want to train my pokemon without the use of 'boosters' of any kind. Second: Caterpie already evolved into metapod, remember? They don't eat."

"Oh… well, you can keep that anyway. Maybe give it to one of your other pokemon, like Dratini," suggested Steven.

Before Brian could respond, there was a flash of light and Rattata appeared. "What the-?" The little rat sniffed the air a couple of times than jumped and snatched the Rare Candy out of his trainer's hand. He then started to eat it happily.

"First time I've seen something like that," commented Steven.

"Same here. Though, I have read about pokemon that don't like pokeballs. Anyway, I should get going. I've got a bit of training to do before my gym battle."

Steven gulped. "Um… about the second thing I wanted to give you…"

Brian retuned Rattata to his pokeball and turned to Steven. "What is it?"

Steven looked at the older boy nervously. "I already set you up a gym battle for this afternoon."

Brian blinked three times before fainting with a slightly scared look on his face.

_To be continued… hopefully…_

A/N: So the chapter is finally up. I hope to be able to tie down my muse long enough to be able to update this story more than once every two years. Thanks for staying and reading. Have a good day, Ja Ne!


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